Sexual violence in armed conflict

IRRC No. 894

Sexual violence has been, and to a large extent continues to be, shrouded in silence. However, the dynamics behind it, including its prevalence and horrific toll on individuals and societies, have been progressively better understood over the last two decades. With this issue, the Review intends to contribute to the discussion on how to further improve access to and quality of services to victims, while also crafting effective prevention strategies. The fight against sexual violence in armed conflict requires a cross-disciplinary effort, bringing together expertise from diverse areas such as health, political science, gender studies, history, law and ethics.

In 2014, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) undertook a four-year commitment to consolidating and expanding its efforts to address sexual violence in armed conflicts and other situations of violence.

Dr Raed Aburabi / In prison, as in the outside world, sexual violence occurs when acts of a sexual nature are imposed by force or coercion. Detention places are, by their very essence, coercive environments where the notion of consent cannot be understood in isolation from the relationship of authority between those with power (be they guards or detainees) and those without. Dr Raed Aburabi, Head of health in detention unit at the ICRC

Chris Dolan / Increasing acknowledgement in some quarters that women and girls are not the only victims of sexual violence, and that sexual violence is not the only form of gender-based violence (GBV), has yet to be adequately reflected in policy and practice in the humanitarian world. Chris Dolan, Director of the Refugee Law Project

Sexual violence is prevalent in contemporary armed conflicts. International humanitarian law and human rights law absolutely prohibit all forms of sexual violence at all times and against anyone; international criminal law moreover provides for the individual criminal responsibility of sexual crimes’ perpetrators. These three bodies of law importantly reinforce each other in this field. The discrepancy between the facts on the ground and the law is a matter of concern that cannot be explained by potential legal gaps or uncertainties. What is needed is to find new ways of improving implementation for existing laws at the domestic and international levels. Gloria Gaggioli, Assistant Professor/Grantholder of Excellence at the University of Geneva

Paul Bouvier / Sexual violence and rape in armed conflicts are widespread phenomena, with devastating consequences. Over the last thirty years, our understanding of these phenomena has significantly improved. Today humanitarian and health professionals understand better the reality, scale and impact of sexual violence on the personal, physical, social and mental health of individuals and communities. Paul Bouvier, Senior Medical Adviser for the ICRC

Françoise Duroch and Catrin Schulte-Hillen / Over the past ten years, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has provided medical care to almost 118,000 victims of sexual violence. Integrating related care into MSF general assistance to populations affected by crisis and conflicts has presented a considerable institutional struggle and continues to be a challenge. Dr Françoise Duroch, MSF InternationalCatrin Schulte-Hillen, Coordinator at MSF,

Laura Heaton / Public understanding of humanitarian emergencies tends to focus on one story and one type of victim. Examples are manifold: amputees in Sierra Leone, victims of kidnapping in Colombia, or victims of chemical weapons in Syria. Laura Heaton, Writer and reporter